Liberty obliterates UMass with three LU quarterbacks throwing touchdowns

Fourteen seconds. That is how long it took for Liberty football to find the end zone. The crazy part is that the Flames’ offense did not even start with the ball.

UMass struggled on both sides of the ball, and the Flames took full advantage to come away with a dominant 62-17 win Oct. 30.

UMass’ first offensive play was a pass from freshman quarterback Brady Olson, intended for fellow freshman wide receiver Onuma Dieke, but veteran transfer cornerback Duron Lowe intercepted it, giving the Flames’ offense the ball with fantastic field position. 

T.J. Green would cash in for the touchdown on the very next play, breaking through UMass’ defensive line before bursting to the left and speeding past the Minutemen defenders. Green said he was thrilled to jump start the Flames’ offense.

“Coach Freeze called up the play,” Green said. “He knew what look we were going to get, and my O-Line led me to the end zone. It was a good feeling out there being able to score early in the game.”

UMass’ next offensive drive was just as bad. The Minutemen’s first play nearly resulted in a pick six, and third down resulted in a strip sack with Liberty’s Stephen Sings V recovering the ball on the UMass 6-yard line.

Liberty once again scored within one play of taking possession when Demario Douglas took a screen toss to the end zone. The Flames went up 14-0. 

The third drive for the Minutemen proved to be much better than the first two. Three of the plays should have resulted in three interceptions, something Liberty Head Coach Hugh Freeze noted post-game, but the defenders dropped the balls. The Minutemen ended the drive with a field goal, giving them a slight momentum boost. 

A couple of drives later, Liberty quarterback Malik Willis was able to produce a highlight play, throwing to receiver DJ Stubbs for a 60-yard touchdown. 

Both teams stalled for a bit, producing quick three-and-out drives before TJ Green’s 29-yard touchdown run on fourth down increased the Flames’ lead.

Shortly after, UMass produced another drive that went nowhere, but the punt hit a Liberty player, and the Minutemen were able to recover with great field position. The UMass drive ended with a failed fourth down conversion.

That defensive stand made something click for the Flames.

Liberty marched down the field before Willis’ toss to Noah Frith resulted in an improbable score. Frith got the ball, shed a tackle, turned up field and sprinted down the sideline with the help of Douglas, whose block guaranteed the score.

The next Flames’ offensive possession played out in a similar fashion. The Flames were able to dink and dunk down the field before Willis found tight end Johnny Huntley III with 0:05 to go in the half. The Flames went into halftime up 41-3. 

The NFL scouts who came to the game saw all they needed to see from Willis and company. Four NFL scouts in the press box packed up and left before the third quarter began.

The second half ended being substantially better for the Minutemen. Olson found wide-open receiver Rico Arnold for a score on their first drive. 

Still, the Minutemen defense could not stop the Flames on offense. Shedro Louis finished the Flames’ second second half drive and Willis’ day with a 9-yard rushing touchdown. The Flames pulled Willis to keep him injury-free going into next week’s duel against Ole Miss. 

Backup quarterbacks Kaidon Salter and Nate Hampton made their Liberty and collegiate debuts. Backup quarterback Johnathan Bennett did not play due to an injury sustained in a car accident during the week leading up to the game. 

Salter’s drive ended in a score when his receiver Brody Brumm put the defender in a spin cycle before running in for the touchdown. Hampton’s second drive ended with a bomb to wide receiver Khaleb Coleman, who last scored for Liberty in 2019. Coleman was overjoyed because he had dealt with various injuries just to get back onto the field this year.

Freeze spoke afterwards about their performances. 

“There’s nothing like game reps,” Freeze said. “To see both of those get in there, you know with JB being out, I thought it was a great time to get them both in there. I would’ve loved to see them play a little more. I thought they both did some good things.”

The game ended 62-17, cementing a dominant Liberty win coming in a crucial time. Next week, the Flames travel to Oxford, Mississippi, to play No. 15 Ole Miss. 

A win against the Ole Miss Rebels would be historic for the Flames. Liberty has never defeated SEC competition, though they have defeated a higher-ranked team. Coastal Carolina was No. 9 in the AP Poll when the Flames defeated the Chanticleers last December. 

The Flames will need to execute on all areas of the field to keep pace with Ole Miss, who have a Heisman candidate in quarterback Matt Corral. Corral and Liberty’s Willis are the top two quarterbacks on Mel Kiper Jr.’s list of draft-eligible quarterbacks. 

Currently, Ole Miss is listed as a 10-point favorite. Liberty will take the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi, Nov. 6 at 12 p.m.

Randle is the sports editor. Follow him on Twitter.